re: a-hole celebrities and here are the rules:

Also, and this wasn't a personal encounter, but I read an account of a soldier who was stationed in Korea in 2004 and got to meet country singer Chely Wright (who had already done countless USO tours for deployed troops). He said that she stayed outside for 9 hours in -10 weather hugging soldiers and signing autographs until the last soldier was gone. That is amazing. There have been quite a few singers who have done USO tours and supported troops (Kid Rock, Toby Keith, Aaron Tippin, etc) but what she has done over her career in that department is almost w/o peer. She is a wonderful soul inside and out and one of the big reasons I've always been a big fan of hers.( Her looks aside).

She was also in Baghdad when I was over there in 2003 and I never got to see her. One of my great regrets.

Walton and Johnson told a story about being on the golf course with Huey back in the day and he whipped out his hog to take a piss. The heart of rock and roll was still beating apparently.

I was walking to Jordan-Hare stadium when, unbeknownst to me, NFL hall of famer Kevin Greene whizzed by me and a couple friends in 2002. He and a driver passed us from behind and as I stared at their backs, I, pooped from walking around the stadium for hours pregame, turned to my buddies and said "damn, what do you have to do to get a ride on a golf cart around here?".

The golf cart quickly came to a halt and a big arse, angry and slightly insane looking blonde white guy came barreling towards me. He stuck out his hand and tried to crush mine when I shook it. He spoke rather roughly to me and said something along the lines of "I am riding on the golf cart because I played football here at Auburn and was an all-pro for the Pittsburgh Steelers. We kicked LSU's arse every time we played them. What have you done?"

Is that the one he won? I was there and a buddy of mine is a die hard UGA fan. We waited for over an hour so he could get his autograph. Bubba told him he didn’t sign shite. I laughed my arse off and kept pounding beers. That guy is the biggest a-hole I’ve ever been around.

My sister (no pics) waited tables at Mike Anderson’s in the late 80s. She waited on Oprah and another woman, and Oprah treated everyone she interacted with like shite. She’s a giant C. Left almost no tip. Horrible person. Huge ego.

I sat next to the ying Yang twins on a flight to ATL. In coach. The were great and very friendly, but to be honest I only understood about 30% of what they were saying.

Ric Flair was pretty damn nice despite my drunk friend challenging him to a fight in the parking lot of Club La Vela in 1997.

Had dinner with Carrot Top, Vendela, and Jamie Foxx in 1995. All were very nice. Vendela had nothing to say. No personality. Jamie Foxx couldn’t understand why we kept saying we didn’t know who he was or recognize him. He never caught on. Carrot Top was friendly until his credit card got declined. Good times.

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Was sitting at a local restaurant bar right about opening time. Sat down in my usual spot and ordered a drink and some food. Robert Downey Jr. sat down next to me. I talked to him for about 30 minutes or so about fishing, good hiking spots, and whatnot - never acknowledged his celebrity or anything. He thanked me for the conversation and paid my tab.

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Yeah, the celebs I’ve run into and actually talked too, I treat them like a normal person and don’t gush over them or try to talk about their profession.

Like once I ran into country singer Mark Chestnut in the early 90’s when he was at the height of his career in a magazine shop in the Anchorage airport. I recognized him and simply said, “How you doing bud?” He said fine, and I asked him if he was here for business or pleasure. He said, “Unfortunately business. I did a concert last night but I’d love to spend some time here hunting and fishing.” We talked about hunting a little and he asked where I was from because he noticed my accent and I told him south Louisiana and since he grew up in Beaumont he recognized the accent. He asked what I was doing there and I told him I was a bush pilot, so he asked me a bunch of questions about that. Real nice guy.

Just treat them like a normal person.

I regularly waited tables for Lex Luger. He and his family were the nicest table. It almost made me nervous how well behaved his kids were (like he would beat them if they did anything wrong... not saying he did. But it was almost stepford wives level obedience).

Buff Bagwell was super friendly.

Keith Brooking was awesome, but his fiancee'/wife/girlfriend was a witch.

Most of the Falcons' offensive coaching staff were regulars and great people. This was Dan Reeves era.

My mother-in-law had an encounter with John Smoltz. She said he was a total jerk. She was a nurse and Smoltz's later to be ex wife was in the hospital. In my head, it was understandable for him to be abrupt (preemptively telling them to leave him alone).
But my lesson learned was to be sweet to the nurses and doctors who will be looking over me while I'm under anesthesia.

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I have heard nothing but great things about Cruise from people whom have met him. He's not the a-hole people make him out to be.

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the only times i've heard of him being even mildly an a-hole was yelling at people not listening to covid protocol (as stupid as they were) because it might get them shut down during filming and then a quickly repudiated rumor from a few Navy people during top gun that went as quickly as they came.

My wife works with Ron Gant and says he is one of the nicest people she's ever worked with in television.

I met Belinda Carlisle years ago, before her marriage and drug issues, but after she was the successful leader of for GoGo's. She is extremely friendly.

Several Nascar and NHRA drivers. All extremely nice, especially John Force and his daughters & son in law, Ron Capp, etc. Jesse James what with his wife at NHRA event and was very nice and down to earth.

John Schatter, Papa John's founder, also extremely generous with his time and friendly.

Kristi Yamaguchi is very nice and generous.

James Duhan, Scotty from Star Trek was rude to everybody, but only met him once.

Hershal Walker extremely nice. Wearing disguise (blue hat and glasses) in airport, when asked his name, said "Hi, I'm Hershel.